Masayume
by golden eyes hypnotize
Summary: "Masayume" means "dream that comes true" and in this story our Kagome dreams of her silver-haired hero for years. Finally he rescues her from a dangerous relationship and she meets him for real at just the right time of her life. A romantic adventure that will keep you guessing. Sess/Kag
1. Reconsidering Hojo

Chapter 1

She sighed again. She reached out from the shower and grabbed the fluffy, oversized, white towel from the rack on the wall adjacent. As she dried her wet skin, Higurashi Kagome recalled the day she finally gave Hojo a chance.

The tall, lovely young woman with long, glistening, black waves that played over her shoulders and about the middle of her back with rich, blue eyes that shone with intelligence and presently creased at her brow in reverie had attended the same high school and then college as her present boyfriend. By most accounts, Hojo had always been the embodiment of the collective heterosexual female desire. He was over six feet in height, possessed of a toned, masculine physique and features that managed to foreshadow his gentle, caring nature even as they spoke of strength and fitness. At the top of his class in both high school and university, he was also a man with a bright mind who was full of determination.

Kagome had missed significant portions of her classes in high school due to persistent migraines exacerbated by the hormonal changes of puberty. As the first indication of Hojo's preference for her, he began researching and offering folk remedies to Kagome. Her girlfriends were immensely envious of this attention and cooed with joy when he eventually asked her out to the movies. Unfortunately for Hojo, Kagome really didn't feel that kind of attraction for him at the time nor did she even feel ready to date. To her perspective, she was overwhelmed with her health issues and keeping up with schoolwork and so saw no place for romance. That did not keep her well-meaning friends from encouraging her to accept the suit of the choice male, but Kagome would not be swayed.

The same determination that bolstered Hojo to the head of the class ensured he never took his eyes off his goal of Kagome. Any other young man would have moved on to another, more readily accepting female, but not him. All through their education he remained the ever-supportive friend and only very sporadically reminded her of his desire for her by asking her out, to which she maintained her disinterest in elevating their relationship status.

Undeterred, though he went on to pharmacy school and she to an unsophisticated secretary position—one that not only brought in money to help with her family's shrine, but also provided her free evenings and weekends to work on her true passion in life: writing—he always found ways to keep present in her life. He had initiated a routine whereby they ate lunches together, he made himself invaluable as her best friend and ensured they spoke or texted constantly. Her family: her Mama, Grandpa, and younger brother, Sota, knew him well as he stopped by frequently.

It should not be inferred, however, that though Kagome would turn down Hojo that she turned down other offers. Starting in college, helped along by the remission of symptoms of her incapacitating migraines in her senior year of high school, she began accepting invitations for dates when she felt attraction. To her frustration, attraction was a difficult accomplishment and even in those rare instances, she really had yet to have that eyes-meeting-across-a-room-as-two-souls-call-to-on e-another moment that she wrote about in her stories. This past Fall, she, a woman who had just published a best-selling romance novel and was the author of over a dozen short stories of that variety, had given up on the romantic hope and said yes to the man who had been the greatest non-familial male presence in her life.

In all this time, Hojo had never dated. Not once. To a more experienced, less pure-hearted soul, this might have raised suspicion, but not to Kagome. She believed only the best in people and, defying the odds, had never truly been disappointed in her assessments. Her family had voiced concerns of his behavior over the years, but in the end they were always won over by his gentle, caring ways and his obvious devotion to their Kagome. He looked after her and her family, always surprising them with healthy snacks or desserts when he came over and frequently helping her aging grandfather with physical chores around the shrine.

Last September 20th, Kagome was celebrating her 28th birthday with her family and Hojo. Her then friend had enticed them all to a fine restaurant for the occasion and treated the party to a few bottles of a well-aged wine. It was under this influence that he had brashly joked that the only thing that could make for a better introduction to the fall season than excellent food and superb company would be if Kagome joined him for a private meal at Oliver's, a restaurant known throughout the city as _the_ place to go for a traditionally romantic evening.

She had been taking a sip of her wine and slowly lowered the glass from her lips and swallowed, her eyes on the dark liquid gently sloshing above her fingers. Thoughtfully, she stared as she returned the vessel to its place in front of her. She remained quiet with an uncharacteristically serious look on her face. Around her, her company remained silent, her family conspiratorially exchanging looks with each other as they observed her. Kagome kept her eyes unmoving while she cleared her throat.

"That sounds like a great idea," she murmured.

Hojo's eyes went as wide as digital media discs and he couldn't resist clarifying, "You will allow me to escort you to dinner?"

Her head raised and her eyes followed. With a nod she asserted quietly, "Yes."

His smile was dazzling but hers was merely content.

He had picked her up the next night and taken her to Oliver's. It was the single greatest night of his life to that point though he could tell deep down that Kagome's feelings had not changed where he was concerned. Kagome enjoyed the meal and did her best to remind herself to give Hojo the chance he deserved for all of his attentions. With difficulty, she accomplished her rationalization and managed an acceptance when, after he had walked her to the doorway of her home, he asked her to dinner and a movie the next week.

Kagome had finished her bathroom routine lost in her thoughts and was walking in her towel back to her room to dress for the day. Today was Saturday: her day reserved for her writing. She liked to sit outside under Goshinboku, the sacred tree on her family's property situated in the courtyard, and write her stories by hand in her large, cherry blossom notebook with her special pink gel pen she'd picked out especially to write with. She would type up her story later and use that opportunity to proofread her writing. She dressed in a teal, short-sleeved top with large, silver hibiscus flowers across the front and a wide, v-neck paired with grey capri pants. As she fixed her silver, elongated spiral earrings into her ear lobes, doubts about the wisdom of her current relationship lingered in her mind.

By all appearances, Hojo was a great guy. His every thought was of her and her family. She should be happy. More than happy. He loved her—there was no doubt in her mind that he had been in love with her for years. And yet, despite trying to force her heart to return his affection, every time she came close, something occurred that brought questions to her mind. His love seemed a kind of obsession: he needed to know where she was at all times though he masked it with playful texts like "Hey, Beautiful! Whatcha up to?." If she didn't answer those texts within exactly five minutes (recently she had started timing him) he would call her phone. Then, should she not happen to answer her phone, he would leave her a very loud, very over-the-top message and a stream of concerned texts with superfluous exclamation points and question marks would follow. This behavior had started after she had first accepted a date with him and had escalated over the seven months they had been going out.

Lately, this and other similar actions from him had begun to frighten her. She would talk to him about it, tell him that it concerned her, and for a few weeks his obsession would abate and she could convince herself that the good outweighed the not-so-good. Then, with regularity, he would slowly slip back into his previous habits and her unease would return. She desperately wanted to talk about this with her Mama but every time she thought of what to say, it just seemed silly. After all, Hojo not only fawned over her, he doted on her family. He played video games with Sota, brought her mother fresh flowers and sweets from the bakery, and not only was he always available to help her Gramps with the lifting and carrying, but also patiently listened to his rambling stories.

And yet, even with all this time together, her heart was unaffected and her mind was riddled with doubts. She did like him. She did enjoy their time together and though even she had to admit after seven months she should have been open to a physical relationship with Hojo, she just wasn't ready. She had let him kiss her, but every time he would bring his hand to touch her or hold her, she would pull away. Perhaps, she reasoned, it was all her fault he had become obsessed. Maybe if she had been like every other girl she knew and at the least made out with him, he would not feel this all-consuming preoccupation with her whereabouts.

Maybe it was just sexual frustration. After all, he was a healthy, 29 year old male and she knew for a fact he had never had a girlfriend. She wasn't completely naïve and understood that it was entirely possible that he had had intercourse without the benefit of a relationship, but something told her that Hojo just wasn't that kind of guy.

She was settled on her blanket under Goshinboku writing a description of the hero of her next novel. No doubt it could be said that she lacked imagination, but in every romance she had ever written, the male lead was inspired by the exact same idea: nearly all of her life, Kagome had dreamt of a man. It had started with the migraines of her teen years. Her head would be stricken by a lancing pain that caused dizziness and blind spots in her vision with its intensity. She had been taken to specialists and prescribed a cabinet of medicines but the only thing that relieved her pain was sleep so in the end, they prescribed medicine to aid her into slumber.

It was in the dreams of this induced sleep that the Silver-Haired Man first appeared. Possessed of great height, broad shoulders, narrow hips, and a face and bearing so exquisitely handsome and elegant as to be beautiful, this man, who never revealed his name, accompanied her every dream from that time on. If truth be told, she was rather upset with this manifestation of her mind. She was 28 years old. She had dated, but never more than a few dates with any particular man until Hojo and with him, like all the others before him, she just couldn't get her heart to engage. It was almost certainly a sign of madness, but her heart _was_ engaged for Silver-Haired Man and had been for over a decade.

In her dreams, they talked about everything. They went for long walks holding hands. She sat and watched with rapt attention as he practiced his forms with his katana—as elegant and beautiful as he was stationary, he was infinitely more alluring in motion as perfectly-honed muscles tensed and bulged in his efforts. He listened as she ran ideas for her stories past him and he offered suggestions. They sat cuddled together and read from their own books. She knew it was odd that she recalled these dreams upon awakening. She knew it was even more peculiar that the dreams were so detailed and lifelike. Still, she would never think to share her dreams with another soul: they were hers, they were private, and they were immensely dear to her. And yet, part of her couldn't help but be angry thinking that these wonderful dreams were sabotaging her chances at a real love life.

As she wrote, her phone chirped from its place beside her and she looked down to see a message from Hojo. He was asking her out to Oliver's tomorrow night. She sighed. They had not been back to that restaurant since their first date. Kagome bit her lip as she wondered what could have prompted his desire for such an exclusive restaurant and didn't like what her mind came up with.

…..


	2. Mama To The Rescue!

Chapter 2

Kagome picked up her cell and answered her text. "I'm kinda in the mood for beef curry. Maybe Padasha's instead?" If Hojo was thinking of doing what she had a feeling he was thinking of doing, this probably wasn't the kindest text, but maybe he would infer what he needed to infer: that she was not receptive to an offer of marriage at this time.

Alas, no. His reply: "I'll take you out for Indian food another night. I want a romantic night out with you."

Her brow creased in thought and she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. _'What do I do? I'm almost certain he will propose and my only answer can be 'no.''_ She hefted a giant sigh and, cellular in hand, ran to find Mama.

She kicked off her shoes in a hurry and headed straight for the kitchen. "Mama!" she called.

Kaneko looked up from her work chopping vegetables and saw instantly in that way of all mothers that her child was distressed. "Kagome, sweetheart, what's the matter?" she asked.

"I—, Hojo—, I mean—," she whimpered in frustration and looked up at her mother helplessly.

"Easy, now. Take a deep breath and start from the beginning," Kaneko urged. She washed her hands and came over to Kagome to lead her to the living room to take a seat on the couch with her.

Once they were seated, Kagome did as she was told and inhaled deeply. "I think Hojo wants to ask me to marry him tomorrow and I don't want to marry him," she quietly said with her eyes lowered shamefully.

"Alright. What makes you think he is going to propose?" Kaneko asked.

"He asked me to go to Oliver's with him tomorrow night and when I suggested somewhere else he told me no, that he wanted a romantic night out with me," Kagome said, hesitantly raising her eyes to her mother's.

"I see." She thought for a moment. "Could it be as simple as he said? That he just wants a nice evening with you?"

At that moment, Kagome's phone rang with the predictable phone call from Hojo. She hit the side button to silence the ringer. "Sure, it could…but he's just been so intense lately. What do I do, Mama? He's a nice guy. I don't want to hurt him and I've actually been thinking about ending our relationship so if he asks, my answer would definitely be 'no.' And if I don't give him an answer about tomorrow soon, he's going to get all manic and start texting me like a madman."

Kaneko raised her eyebrows at this news. She had always suspected Hojo to be a little excessive in his pursuit of Kagome and hearing that her daughter had been keeping behavior that obviously concerned her to herself set her on worry mode. Her daughter had always been a kind soul, if a little naïve, and the only reason she could think for Kagome keeping Hojo's actions a secret from her family would be that she doubted her family would believe her. While it was true that the boy had done his best to integrate himself into their lives and make himself invaluable around the shrine, there was no excuse for abusive behavior and Kaneko was with her daughter—she did not want her making the biggest decision of her life for the wrong reasons to the wrong man. To Kagome, she said, "I think now is a good time to use your writing as an excuse. Tell Hojo you're not sure you can take tomorrow night off from your story yet and won't know until tomorrow. Take this time to think about what you really want. Tell him you'll be turning off your phone to make sure you can concentrate on your work."

Kagome's face lit up with relief. "Oh, Mama! You're brilliant!" She picked up the cell and texted exactly that then promptly turned off her cell and set it down on the coffee table. Her eyes shone with gratitude as she launched herself into her mother's arms. Hefting a huge sigh she said, "Thank you for understanding."

Kaneko raised a hand to stroke her daughter's dark waves in consolation. There was more to this that Kagome wasn't telling her, she was sure of it, but she would not pressure her. She would tell her when she was ready.

….

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Kagome pushed Hojo from her mind and focused on the Silver-Haired Man and her story. She wrote and wrote only pausing when called for meals and in the evening she wrote until the sun set and she could no longer see her marks on the paper. Resigning, she gathered her supplies and blanket and went back inside where she smelled something familiar and delightful: chocolate.

Her mother had made her special brownies with cocoa almonds in them and Kagome couldn't have been more grateful. She set her things down in the living room by the stairway and smiled when she saw her mother exiting the kitchen with two bowls of warm brownies topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Mama to the rescue!

They sat together on the couch eating their dessert while Kaneko soothed her daughter in her usual way of telling her stories of her father, Seijuu. "Have I ever told you that I dreamt of your father before I met him?" She was about to continue when she was interrupted by the clang of Kagome dropping her spoon in her bowl. Her daughter's face was awash in what could only be astonishment. Kaneko tilted her head in inquiry and asked, "What is it, Kagome?"

Kagome swallowed heavily and looked into her bowl as she took a deep breath. When she raised her eyes she was collected again. She sighed again in a small way and smiled. "No, you've never told me you dreamed of him. Do you remember the dreams?"

Once again Kaneko knew her daughter was withholding, and once again she chose to give her the space she needed with her thoughts. With a warm smile of reverie she said, "I remember them perfectly now, though I didn't always. This may sound strange, but in the dreams it was as though we knew each other. We talked and spent time together and then when we finally met in person we were both a little in shock. Can you imagine dreaming of someone for years, having completely lifelike dreams and then one day running into them in the subway? We just stood and stared at each other for what must have been a very long time but felt like only a moment."

"That's so romantic! You have said that you met in the subway before, but the dreams…Mama, I totally believe you about the dreams. I think it's entirely possible to dream of someone in lifelike dreams for years. How long did you dream of him?" Kagome asked.

"Well, about two or three years. All through the end of high school and then I met him right after graduation."

Kagome's brow creased in confusion and the unfairness of it all. "Only a couple years? That's not that long at all!"

"Why, of course it is. Three long years of dreaming of my ideal man, thinking I was crazy because I had feelings for a dream, comparing all other men to what I thought had to be a figment of my imagination…that's a long time, sweetheart."

Another sigh as she mumbled, "You're telling me."

…..

After dessert, Kagome helped clean up and grabbed her things at the foot of the steps and went upstairs to her room. She finished her nightly routine and turned down the covers to climb in. She reached to turn off the bedside lamp and nestled down into her pillows and light covers. Turning on her side, her breath started to even out and deepen and soon she had passed the veil of slumber.

When she opened her eyes, she was in a manicured English garden which she recognized as belonging to Silver-Haired Man. She walked lazily toward the fountain and, upon reaching it, bent slightly from the waist to trail her fingers along the surface of the water. It was as she was about to straighten herself that a strong pair of arms clad in his usual, elitist, perfectly-pressed Charvet dress shirt circled her waist and the tickle of warm breath on her shoulder alerted her to her beloved's presence.

"Hello, handsome-sama." Kagome had long ago learned that he would not tell her his name and so she determined a pet name that suited him perfectly. It had annoyed him a little at first, but with time he had come to embrace her praise of his form.

He nuzzled the side of her head. "This—I am displeased you have stayed away so long. Why is this so?"

He did that often, almost said something and then said, "I." It seemed strange, but she had a weird feeling he meant to speak in the third person. That couldn't be, right? "You know, it could as easily be said that you have stayed away as well. We never have figured out how to bring these dreams about."

He turned her around and she slipped her arms around him so they held each other. He was very tall, though luckily she was also relatively tall so she didn't have to crane her neck too far to look into his amazing golden eyes which presently smiled ever so slightly in the way that somehow she knew only she would be able to notice. Slowly, they moved down her face to focus on her lips and his eyes became dreamier, causing Kagome's lips to curl up at the corners.

"Did you miss me, handsome-sama?" she asked.

He huffed arrogantly in answer before lowering his lips to hers. After a gentle, tender kiss that curled her toes, he said, "Something disturbs you. I think perhaps it is the problem of this _friend_ which though he has reached physical maturity remains a _boy_ that you have been told frequently to remove from your life. You will tell me."

….

A/N: The name Seijuu means "sacred beast."


	3. Believe As I Believe

Chapter 3

Kagome sighed and tried to bury her head in his collarbone, holding him tight, shielding herself from both the warm sunlight and the golden glow of his eyes. "How do you always know? I've been trying to figure out how to end this farce with him for months. Then it occurs to me that the one I truly want more than anything may not even exist and I feel foolish, like I'm letting a dream dictate my choices in life, but… Handsome-sama, you'll never guess what my Mama told me today. She has always told me stories of my father, since I remember so little of him as he died when I was young, but today…today she told me that she dreamt of him before she met him. Do you think that's possible? That you're really real and I'll get to meet you in person one day?"

"I know, as always, that it is possible. It is you who has retained doubts. Now, you insist on changing the subject. What has occurred? Has he finally harmed you?" He sniffed her hair and ran his hands over her shoulders and arms as if to detect injury.

"What? No! He hasn't hurt me—couldn't hurt me, he just, well, is overly obsessive and I think he's planning something terrible. I need to end things before he has the chance to do that so I can minimize his hurt," she said.

"Though you think it is impossible, you should understand, as I have told you before, that that kind of obsession is not caring, is not love, and easily and nearly always escalates into physical violence. When you terminate your relationship with him, you will do so either surrounded by your family or in public. You will promise now that you will do so." The Silver-Haired Man moved his right hand to her chin and lifted until she was looking up into his eyes. "You will promise."

She didn't even have to think about it. "I promise. I will finish it in the company of others. I will not be alone with him ever again and I will do my best never to see him again," she swore to him, her right hand over his heart, her eyes sincere.

He lowered his head again and pressed his warm mouth to hers, opening his mouth and licking her bottom lip before sucking it between his lips. He heard her soft moan and felt as her fingers dug into his shoulders, relishing her responsiveness. Even as he felt his ardor rise in reply, his delight in feeling her in his arms, he knew he could go no further with her. Though it was abusive and not by any means a real relationship, she was technically with another male, had even let him kiss her occasionally, which set his soul aflame with jealousy and rage at the wrongness of it. Still, he would not show this to her. It was in no way that he was hiding anything from her, rather that he did not want her overwhelmed with something so trivial when she was already so upset with events. So he reigned in his control and pulled away from his _tenshi_.

"Thank you, Kagome. This—I am pleased you understand how concerned I am for your well-being. It is difficult not being able to take care of this problem for you though it is because of your choices that it is not possible." He pulled away, taking her right hand in his left. "Come."

Kagome walked at his side through a section of dahlias and gladioli on the way to the large walking bridge, the dahlia of the orange-red _Bishop of LLandoff_ variety was scattered throughout the _Gladiolus Vista_ and _Gladiolus Laurita_ varieties which featured lacy, vibrantly lilac edges with a pillow of white surrounding bright red centers and canary yellow laced edges with white centers respectively. The bridge spanned still, deeply blue water which was graced with plush water lilies near where the water met the verdant land. It was a carved, gently arched, stone bridge, made of a light stone and covered in a square fashion with spires and with broad, open, square sides at window height framed by intricately carved stone pillars.

Kagome was happy to be spending this time with him and the smile on her face, lightness of her step, and gentle swing of the arm with the hand clasped with her hero showed it. She knew where he was taking her: to the monopteros settled high on the hill on the bank opposite. Inside the tall, pillared, Grecian structure was a large chaise on which the two frequently cuddled and she was delighted to have that opportunity today even though she had a feeling the conversation would be more of a serious nature and less of a sentimental one.

He was right: it had been over a week since their last encounter. She wished she knew what controlled her time with him so she could be with him every night—for that matter, she wished he would tell her about himself. If her mother's situation was in any way like hers, there may be some hope of meeting him in person. She would do anything for that to happen, go anywhere, but he wouldn't tell her his name or where he was from. What was up with that? She had told him her name, her address, even her phone number. What was he hiding? And why? He cared for her, that much was obvious and she knew in her heart that he would never play her false—after all, he was so guarded with his emotions in his pursuit of self-control and their relationship had been a slow-building one. He had actually seemed rather suspicious and remained aloof for quite awhile and she'd been put off by his attitude before they developed a kind of bantering camaraderie which blossomed into attraction and affection and now into this restrained ardor. Once Hojo was out of the picture she wondered if things would become more physical with her love or if he waited until they were face to face.

She had a feeling he was in some Western country because of the English garden. She had never heard of one in Japan. He had admitted that this was his garden, so it gave her some idea. She had a tidy income now that she had gotten the advance on her first novel and so travel to the other side of the planet would be no problem at all money-wise, though, admittedly, she had very little experience travelling and had been away from her family but rarely and then only briefly. He obviously was well settled wherever he lived. If they did get to meet and even more wonderful, if things worked out between them, she could see herself moving to be with him and she had to admit to a certain amount of anxiety when she thought of being so far from family who had been almost her whole world. _'But,'_ she thought, _'one of my heroines would do anything to be with the man she loved.'_ And so, as she liked to imagine she based them on herself, she would do no less.

They reached the temple and he led her inside to the chaise. He threw his leg over the seat and straddled it before leaning his back against the cushion. Lifting his arm in invitation, Kagome knew exactly what to do from the months of snuggling together and sat between his legs, leaning her back to his front and crossing her long legs out in front of her on the seat. His arms wrapped around her middle and she settled hers on top of his, holding his hands. He nuzzled the side of her head and she leaned into him with a sweet smile on her lips. He may be reserved in his facial expressions and formal in his speech, but there was no denying his affectionate nature though she never would have guessed it from the man she had first met here in her dreams. This was exactly the position she discussed her story ideas with him and he gave her his truly masterful advice. She had often wondered if he was a writer as well.

He squeezed her tight before opening with his concern, "Why is it so hard to believe in me, in us, Kagome?"

She lowered her head in shame and worried her lips. "It's just…who ever heard of something like this? I mean, at least, until my mother told me her story today. I started to dream of you when they were drugging me to make me sleep. That just doesn't sound healthy."

"And are you still taking these medications?" he asked.

"Well…no."

"So, perhaps one might suppose that the dreams came about based on your maturing body and mind as they also began for your mother during adolescence?" he speculated.

Kagome was quiet for a moment. "Umm…that would be a reasonable conclusion…"

"Why do you suppose there are nights we do not see each other?" he probed.

She leaned her head to the right in thought and mulled. There was an idea in her head but it seemed even less believable than having a real life relationship with someone you'd known for years in a dream. She thought of the last 7 months and realized she had seen her beloved far less in this time, and long ago she had realized that she almost always saw him on the days she wrote. What was different about the last 7 months? Hojo, of course, but more than that was the reason for accepting Hojo in the first place: she had given up on experiencing real life romance, given up on having something like her Silver-Haired Man, more than that: she had given up on him. Could that be? Could faith in her beloved really be the key to having him in her life?

Suspicion furrowed her brow. "Do _you_ know why there are nights we don't see each other?"

"You were asked what _you_ think, _tenshi_."

Despite her thoughts she smiled when she heard him utter the pet name he had for her. He used it but rarely and unfortunately knew well the effect it had on her. She wasn't so naïve she couldn't notice a diversion tactic when she saw one. Her beautiful man definitely had a thing about being in control. He had asked her a question and he would not let her change the subject. She sighed in resignation. She had to try. "Alright. So…the only thing I can think of I'm not even sure if it's possible, but since making the impossible possible is not as impossible as it used to be…I have noticed I almost always see you on the nights I write. And on the nights I write, I have faith in you, in us, because, well, as you know, that's pretty much all I write about. And in the time since I mostly gave up on having what we share here or even something like it in real life, there have been a lot more days between writing days where I don't get to see you. So, long answer short: I think it has to do with belief."

Instead of confirming her theory as she hoped he might do, he replied, "You should test your hypothesis."

_'What is this, a lecture on the Scientific Method?'_ she grumbled to herself. Kagome pursed her lips into a pout and narrowed her eyes before rolling them and letting it go with a sigh. "I think I'll do just that. What do I have to lose?" she said as squeezed his hands lovingly with a small smile of hope.

….

A/N: _Tenshi_ means "angel."


	4. A Reason For All Things

Chapter 4

Sunday morning arrived with the hard patter of rain against Kagome's bedroom window and on the roof. As she opened her eyes, rolled to her back, and slowly raised her fists to her eyes to rub the sleep from them, she wondered if the storm that lit up her room with the arrival of lightning followed closely by thunder wasn't a portent for the day's events. She had a big job to do today before she could devote herself to the hope of a future with her Silver-Haired Man.

Alive with purpose, she hurried through her morning toilette and dressed in record time in a blue peasant top embroidered in white flowers and a pair of black pants. She ran down the steps and found her mother on the couch watching the weekend morning program on television.

"'Morning, Mama." Kagome smiled in greeting to her mother.

"Good morning, sweetheart. You look much improved from yesterday. How are you feeling?"

"I'm a jumble right now. Hopeful and nervous and excited and a little scared for more than one reason. Can we talk?" Kagome asked.

"Of course!" Kaneko reached for the remote control and turned off the TV. She patted the cushion beside her, inviting her daughter to sit.

Kagome took the seat on the opposite side of the couch, tucking her right leg under her and turning to face her mother as she placed her hands in her lap. "I would like to invite Hojo to a family lunch here at the shrine. I will be ending both our dating relationship as well as our friendship and I have made a promise that I will do so in the company of others to minimize the chances of Hojo overreacting as his behavior of late has been very concerning. May I do this here with the family today?"

"Of course we'll be there for you. But Kagome, your phone is here on the coffee table with the power off as you left it. When did you make this promise, and to whom?" Kaneko asked.

"Well…you remember what you told me yesterday? About dreaming about dad?"

Kaneko nodded.

"Well…I've been having dreams, too. For a really long time." Kagome played with the excess fabric of her black, cotton slacks.

Her mother inhaled deeply in shock. "But Kagome! Those dreams start in adolescence! You've…oh, sweetheart…all this time… And you still haven't met him? That's just not like you… How could he bear knowing you were dating another male? So he's the one who made you promise?"

Kagome was a little overwhelmed. It was obvious her mother knew something about the origins and meanings of the dreams and how to meet her beloved. _'Why, oh why, didn't I tell my mother about the dreams from the beginning? Or at least once I fell in love? And how could I have pushed that inconvenient thought from my mind so, that I must certainly be hurting my love by dating other men, by letting other men kiss me. I am the worst kind of woman! I don't deserve such a wonderful man!' _Kagome had tears in her eyes when she replied, "Yes, my love had me promise him I would be safe since, in his words, my choices have kept him from being able to handle the situation for me. I'm unsure what that means, but I'm starting to suspect that by not believing in him, by lacking faith in the reality of our love, I have somehow prevented us from meeting in person. Is that right, Mama?"

Kaneko scooted across the couch and hugged her daughter tightly. "There, now. Yes. That's exactly it. Tell me: hasn't he ever urged you to believe? Surely someone in love couldn't sit idly by for so many years while the object of their affection was in denial? Your father sure didn't and I thought it took _me_ a long time to come to terms with the reality of the situation." She ran her hands over Kagome's head and back, soothing her.

"I know this is going to sound strange, but I don't think that's his way. I think he wanted me to believe in him on my own…like it would mean more that way. He only brought it up last night because I told him about what you told me and I asked if he thought it could be real for us, too."

"He must be a very proud male. Tell me about him."

Kagome sat back and her vivid blue eyes took on a dreamy quality as she imagined her Silver-Haired Man. Her right hand subconsciously rose and her knuckles brushed her lips in remembrance of his mouth on hers and her cheeks bloomed with color. Sighing, she said, "He _is_ proud, terribly proud. At first his pride and arrogance pushed me away. He has a superiority about him that I simply couldn't tolerate. And then…this is going to sound strange, but his arrogance, his pride, they are justified. He truly is _great_. All the times I've gone to Sota's kendo competitions and even watched the Olympics with him—I've never seen anyone move like he does and still I have this feeling he holds himself back when he practices in front of me, that he could do even _more_, move even _faster_—a thought that doesn't even make any sense. And his mind—Mama, he is brilliant and extremely well educated. From his talks with me about my stories, he surely has at least Master's degrees in Japanese and English and the constructive criticism he makes—you'd think he was a writer!—and he converses beyond intelligently on every subject that has come up. Unfortunately, he keeps much of himself from me. I don't even know his name! We meet in an English garden that is part of his property so I assume he lives somewhere in the West but I don't know what he does or where he lives."

"I know about the people in his life, though. He's told me of his half-brother, Inuyasha, who has a vastly different personality—much more brash and bold and extroverted and not nearly as interested in learning as he is. There is an old woman, Rin, who he said he adopted, so that must mean she is like a second mother to him, for it is evident that he cares for her deeply. He says he has known her for a very long time and that though she is much aged, retains her mind. Of course: his own mother, Kisaki, who he does not always understand as she has a strange sense of humor in his opinion but he respects. Jaken, his retainer, who he describes as a toady, little imp who has a true eye for quality and brews the most divine tea ever to pass his lips."

When Kagome paused, Kaneko observed, "Sweetheart, it sounds like he is a very controlled, very deliberate-minded male, would you agree?"

"Yes, I would, most definitely," she said.

"Well, it seems to me that it would be wise to trust your instincts. They tell you you are in love, they tell you are loved in return, they tell you he keeps information about himself from you, they tell you he holds himself back physically when he performs his skill for you. Now, I think all of these are true, but more important, I think, is for you to realize that when he withholds from you he does so deliberately and with his love for you in mind. Therefore, you should not worry over not knowing his name. Think instead that this man whose incredible intelligence you admire has done so with a reason and there is no possibility that this anonymity he has imposed will last forever. Think instead that you know the most important parts of him: you know his heart and his mind and his soul."

Kagome sighed in relief and smiled brilliantly. Once again she kicked herself for not coming to her mother sooner. "Thank you, Mama. Thank you so much." Kagome bowed her head in gratitude for her mother's wise counsel. With this in mind, she felt confident she could handle anything the rest of the day threw at her.

She picked up her cell phone, powered it on, ignored the many texts from Hojo, and instead composed a simple invitation to an early family lunch at 11 a.m. He immediately responded that he would come. Instead of letting him engage her in the conversation she knew he would try to start, she texted that she was turning off her phone again and promptly did so, about to smile at the blank screen when just as it powered down she saw that she had a missed call from her agent. She'd be sure to call her back after her drama for the day was finished.

…

A/N: _Kisaki_ means "queen."

…


	5. S'houmaru

Chapter 5

After a breakfast of eggs and tea, Kagome helped her mother run to the store for items for lunch. Kaneko had the idea to prepare Western food to honor her love and to help her daughter feel his presence surrounding her during this difficult task. Kagome loved it.

As they shopped, Kagome finally opened up to her mother about Hojo's disturbing behavior. She told her about the texts and phone messages, but also of the strange emails she would get where he would go on and on about how much he loved her and beg her to tell him that she loved him in return or he would hurt himself and how she had often felt the sneaking suspicion that she was being watched. Often she would turn to see if there was anyone there and once or twice she thought she had almost seen something, but for the longest time had dismissed it as a trick of her imagination until her love had insisted it was almost certainly Hojo.

She didn't understand why he would follow her. He texted and called her constantly so he always knew where she was. He could see her any time he wanted just by asking. Why on earth would he sneak about? It was like he was two people: a kind, concerned, gentle man who took every opportunity to help her and her family and a strange, insecure, obsessive creature who was easily angered and spied on her.

They made chicken salad with tarragon, pears and toasted walnuts and loaded it into sandwiches. They had a bag of chips that they would serve with them. They also prepared a fresh fruit salad of honeydew, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple. As Kagome set the water to boil for the tea, Gramps and Sota arrived in the kitchen to help carry things into the dining room and there was a knock on the front door.

The situation had been explained to the men yesterday and further this morning by Kaneko so when Kagome's eyes took on a worried tint, Sota came up to her and held her hand. "We're here for you, ok? Nothing bad is going to happen. Just a yummy lunch and you kicking out the Hojo-leech. It'll be great!"

Kagome smiled and rolled her eyes. "Alright, that's enough. Go help mom with the tea, will you?"

"Not a chance, Kags. If this guy of yours has heard enough about Hojo from you that he's concerned for your safety, there's no way I'm leaving my only sister alone with this guy, no matter how much he's sucked up to us over the years." Sota crossed his arms in front of him and put on his best stubborn face.

"Sota! Really, now! He may be doing some creepy things lately, but he's never even swatted a fly. There's not a drop of violence in him. Still, you're welcome to accompany me, just don't be rude. This is going to be hard enough for him," Kagome said. She walked over to the door and opened it. Hojo stood there with a bunch of roses. Kagome had never much fancied roses: to her they were unimaginative and compulsory. If you can buy a dozen of them at a gas station, it's not romance. To Hojo, she bowed in greeting and invited him inside.

Hojo doffed his shoes and stepped in, presenting Kagome with the red roses, which she thanked him for politely. "How is the writing going? I'm not used to you turning off your phone. You must really be caught up in this story!" he said.

She led him into the dining room. "As a matter of fact, the story I am working on is the most important of my life. It requires all of me to ensure its proper completion. Please, have a seat. We'll start lunch presently."

Gramps had just brought in the fruit salad and seated himself at the head of the table. Kaneko arrived with a tray of plates and Sota helped her place them while Kagome returned from the kitchen with a tray of tea and cups, which she set in front of everyone before discarding the tray off to the side of the room. She kneeled to sit opposite her grandfather purposely so that Hojo could not take the seat directly beside her ensuring he sat to her left since Sota quickly assumed the place to her right. Kaneko sat to Hojo's left, to the right of her husband's father, so that Hojo did not feel as though they were all against him when the news came.

The meal was begun and conversation was mostly light, though Hojo kept asking Kagome if it had been truly necessary to turn off her phone when she had always been able to write and talk to him in the past. Everyone enjoyed the Western fare and praise was granted to both Kaneko and Kagome for their efforts.

As plates were pushed away, napkins dabbed and tea sipped, Hojo tried to reach for Kagome's hand. Thwarting him, she picked up her tea and took a sip before clearing her throat to speak. "Hojo, first, I want to thank you for joining us for lunch today. We enjoyed your company and we are all glad you could come. It is, however, necessary that I speak with you of something of a serious nature. You have been my friend and constant companion since high school: always worrying over me and caring for me and my family, endearing you to us all. So it is with sadness that I must tell you that our romantic relationship as well as our friendship must end. Because of your continued concerning behavior, which I have been forced to bring up often, you must exit my life and that of my family."

Hojo sat there staring at her with tears in his eyes. His head started to shake in the negative as he felt denial for her declaration. "No…no…you can't mean this, Kagome. You belong to me. You are mine. You're just upset. You love me! Tell me you love me, Kagome!"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that. I am not and have never been in love with you, Hojo, which is why I have never said those words to you. And I assure you I am quite serious. Our relationship must end completely," she said.

His eyes narrowed in suspicious anger. "You've met someone else, haven't you? I was good enough for you before, but all this sneaking around you've been doing, always avoiding my texts and calls, like that day last week when you said you were at the library doing research when you left there and went into that expensive restaurant. Who were you meeting there? What is his name? What makes him better than me?!"

"Now, you look here, assho—," Sota started before he was cut off by his sister.

"Hojo, how would you know I went out for lunch after my morning of research, anyway? Were you _following_ me?" Kagome asked, starting to understand her love's greater concern over Hojo's behavior.

"So what if I _was_ following you? I have that right. You're _my_ girlfriend. _Mine_!" Hojo yelled.

That tore it, Kagome had tried to be nice about this, but he was really showing his true colors. "Nothing gives you the right to stalk another person. And for your information, I had lunch by myself. It was a treat for spending hours bent over musty old books and a computer screen. Now, I think it's time you left."

His eyes narrowed further and his voice deepened. "Oh, you think so, do you? What if I said I wasn't leaving without you?" Hojo stood and grabbed Kagome's arm, yanking her up from her place on the floor, sending the tea cup in her hand flying, before grabbing her other arm and shaking her so hard her neck whipped and for a moment she saw stars.

In a trice Sota was leaping onto Hojo and knocking him away from his sister. Kagome fell in a heap—the only thing keeping her from landing flat was the hand she threw out to break her fall. Still disoriented from the rough handling, she was surprised when she felt someone's hands on her shoulders holding her and it was long moments before she recognized it was her mother.

Between Sota and Hojo there was no contest. Sota was a competitive fighter and while Hojo was in good shape and had a few inches on his opponent, he lacked the speed and agility of Sota. In but a few minutes, Hojo lay unconscious on the floor with Sota and Gramps standing above him watchfully. During the altercation, Gramps had called the police and they arrived while Hojo was still passed out, the station being just a block away from the shrine.

"Good afternoon. I am Officer Takamura, this is my partner Officer Hikane. You say this man attacked someone?" the taller officer asked skeptically.

"Looks like he's the one that got jumped!" his partner quipped.

Kaneko spoke up and Gramps moved aside from his place standing protectively in front of her and his granddaughter so the officers could see. "He has been threatening to my daughter to the point that she chose to break up with him today, and she did so in the presence of family because she was afraid he might be moved to violence and hoped having others here would prevent that. As you can see from the bruises already rising on her arms, the effort was in vain."

The shorter officer whistled through his teeth. "She looks disoriented. Did he hit her, too?"

Gramps spoke up then, "He didn't get a chance to hit her, but he did shake her pretty good."

"I'm calling an ambulance. I don't like that messed-up look in her eyes," said Officer Takamura as he moved to speak into his radio.

"I know this is a bad time, but I need to take some pictures of the scene, ok? And if you have any other proof of this guy hurting her or threatening her, we'll need to see that, please," said Officer Hikane.

Kaneko left Kagome with Sota as she went upstairs to get her daughter's laptop to show the officers the emails Hojo had sent her and she grabbed her cell phone so they could see the texts and hear the angry, threatening voicemails. By then, Hojo had awoken and the police were questioning him in the dining room while the family had moved to the living room. Upon seeing Kaneko return, Officer Hikane left the questioning and came to investigate the evidence against the young woman's former boyfriend.

He read over the texts and emails and had Kaneko forward them all to his work email so he could add them to the file. He took out his laptop and typed up the contents of the voicemails. He had to admit, this guy had seriously dug a grave for himself: months of documented strange behavior and threats culminating in an assault on the daughter of a priest. No judge was going to allow him anywhere near her or this shrine ever again and if what her mother was saying now was true and this guy was a pharmacist, he'd lose his license and never be able to work in medicine again. As he thought of the possible consequences for the man being questioned, the girl who had been attacked suddenly vomited from her place curled up in a rocking chair.

Thankfully, just as this was happening, the ambulance crew arrived and witnessed her being sick. "Blow to the head?" the male paramedic asked.

"She was shaken by that guy with Takamura in the dining room. My guess, pretty hard," the officer said.

The female paramedic knelt beside Kagome and took a hand to lean her head back as she shined a pocket flashlight into her eyes. "Pupils reactive, but she looks kinda dopey." She slipped the cervical collar in her hand around her neck and secured it in case of neck injury. To Kagome she asked, "Miss, can you take my hand and squeeze my fingers? Good. Now, I'm gonna lift my hand and I want you to follow my fingers with your eyes. Good. Do you know where you are?"

There was a delay where she just stared at the paramedic with a vacant look. "Are—arryyou here for l-lunch, too? I'm s-sorry but I think we ate i-tt all." Kagome replied brokenly.

The paramedic grunted and turned to look at her partner. "I'll grab the stretcher," said the male.

"And I'll go arrest that jerk," the officer said.

Sota and Gramps moved to hold Kaneko as she asked, "Is it serious?"

"Probably not too serious, but she does have symptoms of brain injury. We're taking her to the hospital to get evaluated. I can take one of you with us in the ambulance, the rest can follow behind. I'm sorry to rush you, but you need to make the decision immediately as we have to leave now," the male paramedic said as he returned with the stretcher and the two professionals loaded Kagome on it and strapped her in.

"Me. I'll go, please. I need to be with my daughter," said Kaneko.

The ambulance was loaded up and they took off, lights flashing and siren blaring for the nearest trauma center. The officers escorted Hojo, who had gone silent and brooding, out to their vehicle in handcuffs and left for the station. Gramps and Sota cleaned up the mess of Kagome's sickness before locking up the shrine and heading off for the hospital.

Now that Kagome was lying down, all she wanted to do was sleep. She closed her eyes as she felt a gentle rocking, then a squeezing sensation on her lower arm and a hand on her wrist.

After a few moments she took a deep breath in her sleep. "S'houmaru…," she mumbled softly.

…..


	6. I Trust You Wholeheartedly

Chapter 6

Kagome awoke surrounded by warmth though she saw as she slowly opened her eyes that she lay beneath the great boughs of a generations-old oak tree and so was shielded from the bright sunlight, something her eyes were oddly grateful for. She craned her neck back, recognizing a strange wave of dizziness as she did so and saw the anxious face of her love, making her brow crinkle in confusion. "What is wrong, handsome-sama?"

"That monster has dared to lay his hands on you. You are here now because of injury, not because you naturally sleep."

"Injury? You mean Hojo? I don't remember but I don't feel right. My arms and neck and wrist hurt and I'm dizzy and the light hurts my eyes. He…he really hurt me? Even with my family there?" she asked.

He nodded. "Hn. It is as you were warned, unfortunately. He is obsessed with you and his mind is irrational." He stroked her cheek. "Still, your faith in me, in us, your desire to see me ensured you came here after your injury when your body required rest. You are ready to know my name, _tenshi_: I am called Sesshoumaru."

She tested his name on her tongue: "Sesshoumaru…"

…..

After being transferred to an emergency room stretcher, an initial assessment where they briefly woke Kagome, having her follow commands and answer questions again and some repeat blood work was taken, she was promptly wheeled off to get CT scans of her head and neck to assess her injuries.

By this time, Gramps and Sota had arrived and were sitting with Kaneko in Kagome's room. The hospital was modern and completely remodeled into a very well-respected facility that was not only a trauma center but also the area's only stroke center. The design was all in sterile white for the patient care areas, which were separated into all private, walled rooms with phones, TVs and tempered glass doors and vivid, solid colors defining the staff areas with stark white desks. There were four different "pods" in the emergency room where patients were broken up into different sections based on acuity and chief complaint. Kagome was in the purple pod, named for the color of the large, central staff and doctors' areas, the pod which specialized in vascular problems such as strokes as well as head injuries.

When Kagome was taken away, they were told it might be awhile before she was returned to them. Sota took the opportunity to take a walk to work off some stress as he was a physical being and sitting around waiting for answers was a long process he just wasn't built for. He asked directions and took the long walk through this addition to the hospital and off to the main building and lobby to find the coffee shop, leaving Gramps and Kaneko behind in the room.

As soon as Sota was out of hearing range, Kaneko turned to her father-in-law who had busied himself writing prayers and blessings for his granddaughter and said, "I'm concerned about Kagome."

"Of course you're concerned, dear. She's never had an injury like this and it's natural to be upset," he replied.

"No…Dad, she's been having the same dreams I did before meeting Seijuu."

His eyes went wide. "The dreams? How on earth did she keep them a secret all this time? And how is it she has not met her One yet?"

"I blame myself. I had never told her about my own dreams and I think she thought she was a little crazy or that they were some kind of symptom of an illness as they first happened with her migraines. So, you see, all this time she has been in denial and her One is a proud, stubborn male who would not have her until she came to the realization that he was real on her own. Thank the gods her lifespan is naturally long," she said.

She continued, "I am starting to think we were wrong to keep the truth about the family a secret from the kids for so long. After all, they're adults now. All this time, her One has kept his identity hidden from her. I think he must have done so in part because she doesn't truly know her own identity, but more than that, Dad, when she fell asleep in the ambulance ride over, she mumbled a name in her sleep. I'm not sure, but…the name…well…I have to have misheard or maybe she was just spouting nonsense."

"You heard how she answered the paramedic's question at the shrine. I'm sure anything she said in the ambulance was just as disjointed. I wouldn't worry about it, my dear."

Kaneko sighed. "I'm sure you're right."

…..

Despite her physical discomfort, Kagome smiled brilliantly in happiness. "Sesshoumaru…," she repeated. She gazed up into her love's golden eyes and sighed. "Finally!" She was suddenly overcome by emotion and tears glistened in her eyes, threatening to fall with her next blink. "I feel like…I feel like I've waited for forever to know who you are. Now all we have to do is meet in person and live happily ever after! I mean, no pressure or anything." She giggled nervously.

He smiled at the corners of his lips down at her. "Be at ease, my Kagome. We will be together. Such is fated: you are my One as I am yours."

Perhaps it was the beauty and surety of his words, but she was already starting to feel the pain of her injuries lessening. "So how will we meet? Am I right thinking you do not live in Japan as I do? Should I come to you or will you come to me? Or would you prefer to meet in the middle? I will go anywhere for you, Sesshoumaru," she said in an excited rush of syllables.

"Shhh," he soothed, gliding his fingers through the shining black locks at her temples. "Your reasoning is correct: although I was born on the island of Honshu, in the city of Kyoto, I have expanded my family's holdings and currently reside elsewhere. As for our meeting, it is already in process. We will come to each other, as it should be, through this process. Do not worry yourself as it will occur soon, though first you must rest and recover from your injuries and that will take some short time."

"Really, my love, I feel much better already. The light doesn't hurt my eyes and my head and body don't ache anymore. We can meet as soon as I wake up! Where am I going?"

"Kagome…_tenshi-chan_, you must display patience. Do you trust this Sesshoumaru?" he asked.

_'Aha! So he really does refer to himself in the third person sometimes! I wonder where he got that habit?' _As for his question, there was only one answer. "I trust you wholeheartedly."

"Excellent. Then you will trust me when I say this process is organic and must flow naturally. Our meeting has been arranged, though even I do not know when it will be, only that it had been greatly stalled while your heart remained in doubt but now that I have your faith, the red string of fate will provide the means for our paths to cross."

She sighed in resignation. "Alright. I will trust in you, in us, and in fate that we will not have long to wait." She smiled a genuine smile of hope up at her beloved as she pronounced the oath.

…

Kagome had still been asleep when she was wheeled back from the radiology department, and close behind her was Sota, bearing iced coffee for himself and tea for his mother and grandfather.

It was some time before the doctor came in with the results of the imaging studies they had performed. Sota was just considering another coffee run when a man of medium height and build wearing a long, white lab coat entered the room.

"Hello again, Mrs. Higurashi, Higurashi-san, Mr. Higurashi. We just received the radiologist's report on Miss Higurashi's tests. First, I wish to preface that what we see is not serious, though there is injury present. This injury is known medically as "coup contrecoup" and basically describes contusions, or bruising, of frontal and rear portions of the brain that occur either from impact with an object, or, in our patient's case, by the whipping motion of her neck as it was snapped back and forth which resulted in the brain itself impacting the skull by force of inertia. This type of injury is rare in shaking outside of infants or children, but when there is a marked difference in size and strength between the victim and the assailant it is certainly possible."

"Her cervical vertebrae are uninjured, though I suspect her muscles and connective tissue may be strained. I would like to keep her in the c-collar to stabilize her neck while she heals to prevent further injury," he continued. The Higurashis were quiet and attentive as he spoke. "Now, I'd just like to reassess her and see how she's feeling."

The doctor gently touched Kagome's shoulder. "Miss Higurashi? Can you wake up for me now, Miss Higurashi?"

Slowly, Kagome opened her eyes and blinked sleepily. She focused on the doctor leaning over her. "Hello, Miss Higurashi. I am Dr. Kowalji. You are in the hospital being treated for a head injury. Your family is here in the room with us just over there. Can you follow my fingers with your eyes? Good. And I'm going to put my fingers in your palm, can you squeeze them for me? Very good. Now, can you tell me what happened to you?"

"I was trying to break up with my ex-boyfriend over a family lunch when he became angry and assaulted me. He grabbed my arms and shook me, hard. I remember falling but I don't remember anything after that."

"Excellent, Miss Higurashi. It appears you are already healing from your injuries. Tell me, how do you feel?" the doctor asked.

Her eyes narrowed in thought. "I still ache a little, but otherwise I feel fine."

She heard her mother issue a quiet prayer of thanks.

Dr. Kowalji repeated the explanation of the radiological findings for Kagome's benefit since she was now awake and alert. "I would almost swear I just watched the final marks of the bruises on your arms disappear before my eyes. I must have been mistaken that they were much darker when you came in. And, I admit, you are recovering from your little knock to the head quicker than I would have expected from the look of the scans we took, but perhaps it is a sign of your faith, being the granddaughter and daughter of priests, which rewards you with fast healing. Since you seem to be doing so well, I will gladly release you to the care of your family. If you will give me a moment, I will return with instructions for you all to follow for your recovery."

When the doctor left the room, Kagome's family swarmed the bed, wanting to be near her and reassure themselves that she was not only awake but finally making sense. Everyone spoke at once:

"I'm so happy you're feeling better, sweetheart! You were so pale when they brought you in," Kaneko said.

"It was really scary when you weren't able to answer their questions right, Sis!" Sota said.

"I had no doubts you would be healing quickly. You come from good stock, after all and with my healing sutras your injuries didn't stand a chance!" Gramps said.

Kagome lifted a hand in front of her. "Easy, everyone. I'm really OK. I'm just tired. I'm really glad we get to go home now."

Kaneko leaned in and hugged her daughter. "How's your stomach? Any queasiness?"

"Nope. I feel fine, though now you mention it I am a little hungry," Kagome replied.

"Oh, no. Now you've done it! Freshly injured and you tell Mom you're hungry? She's gonna make us a feast when we get home!" Sota warned.

"Oooh!" Kagome exclaimed. "Maybe oden?" she asked hopefully.

…..


	7. Changing of the Tide

Chapter 7

On the way home from the hospital, the family made a few stops. First and most important, they stopped at their mobile phone carrier's store and changed everyone's phone numbers, making sure to delete Hojo from their contact lists. After that, they stopped by the market and picked up some fresh ingredients for dinner and dessert.

Following the promised feast of her mother's oden, they all retired to the living room to relax and digest, turning on the television to a lighthearted obstacle course game show that played in the background as they occupied themselves. Sota read the latest kendo magazine while texting with his girlfriend, Gramps wrote out charms to sell to visitors, Kaneko used her tablet computer to research recipes and Kagome sat behind her laptop and researched material for her novel.

A familiar chirp from Kagome's smart phone alerted her to a new email. She picked it up and unlocked it before touching the mail icon and then opening up the new message. It was from her agent, a man who simply went by 'Inuyasha,' and if the subject line was any indication, it was "Killer News!" As she read, scrolling down with her right thumb, her left hand slowly rose to cover her mouth as her jaw was now slack in shock over the contents of the email. She had to give him his due: Inuyasha had really gone above and beyond.

Her agent was quite a character and if asked, Kagome would not be the kind of girl to lie and say if she had had a choice, she would have picked him as her agent. But, when you live on a shrine and you work as a mere secretary, your options for literary agents are seriously limited by funds. Inuyasha had been completely up-front with her: he was new to being an agent, having been a professional fighter most of his life, but his only living family was in publishing, so he knew enough of the ins and outs that he felt he could do a good job—in fact, Kagome would be his first job as an agent.

It had taken six months, but Inuyasha had gotten her first novel published by a very well-respected, if small, publishing house in Japan and even negotiated a very generous contract for an unknown romance writer. She had been able to pay down a significant portion of her educational loans with the advance she had received though she kept some of it as a personal savings. But now, the news from Inuyasha was that based on just the first half of her second novel, which apparently her agent had been showing around, she had an amazing offer from a large, international publishing house out of New York City.

Not only did they want the rights to this manuscript when it was finished as well as wanting to buy out her current publisher for rights to her published book for an international printing, but they also gave her an immediate offer for her short stories to be published in several compilation books and the advance they were offering for those was more money than she would see from her secretary job if she worked for the next five years! Inuyasha had finished the letter with "So, think I earned lunch at a ramen place?" betraying his near maniacal love for the classic noodle soup. She replied as fast as her thumbs could type: "Even better—you're invited for some of my mother's ramen! She'll cook you anything you want after I tell her!"

Kagome saved her work on her laptop with a quick swipe of the mouse pad and closed the lid before setting it aside on the end table. Literally bouncing in her seat, it wasn't long before everyone looked up from what they were doing to focus on her clear exuberance.

"All right, dear, I can tell you have something you want to share with us. Go on, child," Gramps urged.

"Yes! It's from Inuyasha! An email! He says I've got an offer from a big, huge, international publisher! How cool is that?! They're going to be translating my book and publishing it in other countries! Just like a real author! Oh, I'm just so elated!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Sweetheart, that's so wonderful!" Kaneko said.

"I knew you couldn't know all those big words for nothing!" Sota spoke up.

"Well, _I_ knew it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world realized how wonderful my granddaughter is," said Kagome's grandfather.

"Aww! Thanks, Gramps," Kagome said with a tight hug. She stepped back from her grandfather and looked at her mother and brother. "Thanks, everyone. I couldn't have become a writer without everyone's support."

"That's it. Time for celebratory dessert! I still have half a tray of brownies and enough ice cream and chocolate syrup to go around if someone wants to help me?" asked Kaneko.

"I'll help Mom. Kagome, you stay here and rest," said Sota.

Kagome smiled at her brother for his thoughtfulness and sat back down in her seat. Sota stood and followed Kaneko out into the kitchen. Gramps smiled over at his granddaughter before resuming his work on his current blessing and then clearing his folding table to make room for dessert.

….

The next day Kagome was at work at her desk when a familiar man showed up with an armful of lilies in a large, purple glass vase. Her smile was immediate. She was a sucker for lilies and Inuyasha knew it. He'd purposely sent his lecherous friend Miroku to find out what sorts of flowers she liked back when he had gotten her first story published.

It had been a normal weekday afternoon at her job when an attractive man dressed in a black business suit with a purple silk shirt underneath sauntered up to her desk with an arm behind his back.

"Well, hello, Miss. You wouldn't by chance be the lovely Miss Kagome Higurashi, would you?" he asked.

"I am," she answered with a nod.

"Then these, my lovely one, are for you." He presented two dozen red roses from behind his back with a flourish and deep bow.

"Oh. OK, thanks. Do you need me to sign or anything?" she asked.

The man gave her a thoughtful look and replied, "No, no signature required. Have a good day and I do look forward to seeing you again, Miss Higurashi."

He had left that day and Kagome had found a blank card inside the bouquet. The next day he had arrived with a bouquet of carnations, daisies, and assorted field flowers.

"We meet again! How are you today, my beautiful Miss Higurashi?" he asked.

"I am well, thank you, and yourself?"

"Quite well, I assure you. Perhaps the offering today will bring a smile to your lovely lips?" he asked as he presented the flowers.

Kagome did smile, though she was quick to look for the card before the man could leave. Noticing another blank card she questioned, "Are you aware of the identity of the sender, Sir?"

He turned from his exit and bowed again saying, "I'm afraid not, miss. The order was placed anonymously and the gentleman paid cash. Here's hoping for another visit soon!"

Soon turned out to be the very next day and she saw the flowers from the door. The elegant, white blooms with bright, golden stamens and long, tapered leaves bounced as the man walked and she could see them peeking out from behind his back and Kagome's lips curved into a true smile.

"Those for me?" she asked, eyes alight.

"You know it, my delicate blossom, compliments of your esteemed agent. The previous bouquets should just be considered practice. He wanted to make sure he delivered you flowers you would genuinely enjoy when he called you with the news he has for you. I look forward to letting him know we have met with success finally," he said as he bowed and presented the bouquet in his customary way.

"You seem rather well-dressed for a delivery man. A friend of Inuyasha's, are you?"

"Bright as well as beautiful! Well, my dear, as a matter of fact, we are, indeed, friends. My name is Miroku. I happen to own a nursery—I find it a wonderful way to meet lovely young ladies such as yourself—and Inuyasha contacted me to ferret out which flowers you would like," he said, flashing a charming smile.

And so it happened that Miroku walked into her office that morning carrying lilies with a knowing smile on his face. One that Kagome returned happily.

"A double order this time! _And_ purple hydrangeas! I can barely carry this—you must have some good news to celebrate!" he said.

"You know what, Miroku? I think the tide is changing for me and it's about to carry me home."

He hefted an exaggerated sigh. "Now why do I think that wistful look on your face has nothing to do with either me or Inuyasha? Whoever he is, he's a lucky man, Miss Higurashi."

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	8. Revelations

Chapter 8

"You're a lucky man, you know," Kagome murmured as her fingers flowed through the lengthy mass of shimmering silver strands belonging to the beautiful male sitting reclining before her on their chaise.

"Male," he corrected quietly. "And why, precisely, do you say so?" he asked in a slightly louder murmur.

"I was told so by Inuyasha's friend, Miroku."

"Does that mean that scoundrel has stopped speaking to you as though you were a potential conquest?" he grumbled.

With a cocked brow and a shaking head, Kagome turned the rest of the way in his lap so she faced him. "Now, that's not like you. What's got you acting all jealous all of a sudden?"

Sighing heavily and staring afield over her head, purposely avoiding her eyes, he admitted, "Not as sudden as you think. This Sesshoumaru has felt such with startling regularity since we have become close and with acuteness following your acknowledgement of your belief in him. This feeling is alien and he finds himself…unprepared. Is—is it truly necessary for you to associate with so many other males?"

Now her eyes were wide and she was looking at him with astonishment, her mouth agape. "Necessary for me to …I _know_ you didn't mean to say that out loud…"

Stealing a glance down into eyes that were rapidly losing their shock and progressing to outrage, he opted for an uncharacteristic backpedal, "Perhaps not. I am certain this reaction will abate once we are mated."

_'__Mated? It's not like we're animals or something… Who is he, anyway? He speaks in the third person, especially when he's upset, uses formal language, when he thinks of us being together he comes up with the word 'mated…' I just don't get him sometimes.'_ She sighed. "Right. Well, in the meantime, can you at least _try_ to use some of that famous control of yours? I'd like to laugh, but I have a feeling you really wouldn't handle that well." She thought for a minute before continuing determinately, "You know something, there's still a lot I don't know about you and I want some information before you even passively think about anything involving dating, mating, whatever the hell you want to call it."

His eyes focused on hers and she could tell he had affixed the mask he had worn so often when they had first met. "What is it you would like to know?"

She was unhappy to see his mask, but maybe there were things about his life or past he wasn't proud of. Or maybe... She'd start small and see how far she could get. "What's your last name?" she asked.

"Taisho."

_'__Really? Was that so hard?'_ "Where do you live?"

"I am a citizen of a few countries."

Her brow creased in confusion. "A few? I knew you could have dual status, but how many is in a few? Is that even possible? And where is this garden we are in?"

"It is possible. This particular garden is in the United Kingdom."

Presently her brow narrowed in frustration. "_Where_ in the United Kingdom?"

"England."

Eyes wide with incredulity, Kagome snapped, "Seriously? You can't be more specific than that? I've given you my frickin' address! What is your problem?" Heaving breaths coupled with a glare reinforced she was at her limit for prevarication.

Observing him swallow, she watched him mull her words and tone for a long moment before: "West Sussex."

She took a deep, calming breath and remembered her mother's words from when she would get in arguments with her little brother: pick your battles. Giving him a look that told him she was _far_ from satisfied with that answer and the issue was _far_ from closed she relented and asked, "Is this your primary residence?"

He acknowledged her concession by providing a more thorough answer: "No. It is an inheritance which is usually kept mostly open to the public as an historic landmark and has usually been residence to a family. This Sesshoumaru finds the residence cluttered in their attempt to showcase all the historic artifacts of the property and my desire to live a private existence coupled with my need for clean space ensures I have never resided here. I have, however, visited to tour the property and grounds periodically and though my preference is for Eastern horticulture, I greatly enjoy the garden here and once I realized I was having dreams of my One, I chose for us to meet here. Before that, perhaps you'll remember that we met in many different places."

"Before you can ask, this Sesshoumaru currently maintains a private residence in a remote area. My home is ideally situated surrounded by a mountain range on three sides with a small lake fed by a river on the fourth side. Rin and Jaken live there as well and hiking, swimming, ice skating and kayaking are enjoyed on the lands; Jaken maintains my dojo inside the residence. I have a solarium which I use to enjoy the night sky. Where I live has some of the darkest, most unobstructed skies in the Western Hemisphere and I look forward to showing you the sky in a way that I was able to see it in my youth."

Temporarily appeased by the longest string of words her love had yet to speak to her and the undeniable romance of a man wanting to show her the stars, Kagome smiled with a sigh and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled—a request he was more than willing to accommodate. His head dipped down and his lips parted slightly as his met hers, capturing her bottom lip and savoring the sweet taste of her.

…

High in the heavens Sesshoumaru enjoyed watching there sat two _kami_ discussing the world below. One female, one male, one clad in a gold outer kimono with her red inner kimono peeking through, the other clad in dark robes, their relationship was strained at best, but their boredom won out over the eons and they shared a desire to ease this by wagering on those creatures below.

Amaterasu turned to her companion in the sky and hedged, "It's been millennia and still you insist you are right, no matter the evidence to the contrary. On the large part, _even_ though you make them forget their dreams when they meet and _even_ though the real world is much more complicated than the dream world, those fated to be tied together _do_ inevitably fall in love again. When will you give up?"

Tsukiyomi snorted. "We _have_ had plenty of examples of those couples succumbing to other emotions. Especially hatred. If it weren't for those dreams, those passionate ones wouldn't have a chance. Take, for example, that couple there." The moon god pointed to the idyllic dream world of Sesshoumaru and Kagome. "That demon was _made_ to be alone, no matter what fate says."

It was the sun goddess's turn to huff. "Then how do you explain his love for that human girl he's kept alive all these years? And his tenderness in the dreams?"

"Ha! That's no girl! She's hundreds of years old and has his retainer's magic charm to thank for her longevity. If anything ever happened to that charm…" he said.

Her brow creased in anger. "Don't even think about harming that precious human being! There aren't enough pure souls in this world."

"I won't have to. With the trouble brewing for this couple, she'll be lucky to remain unscathed. As for his…_tenderness_…he's one hard nut to crack. The walls he's built around himself to keep from getting hurt again…in the real world, that girl has too much spark not to sizzle and crack with those powers she doesn't know about when he merely acts the way that comes naturally to him. Hey, wouldn't it be great if she singed the dog's precious silver fur?" teased Tsukiyomi.

His sister and wife, Amaterasu, slapped his chest with the back of her hand. "You're a terrible person! I don't know why I even bother to have these discussions with you. Thankfully, the hour is late and it is time for me to retire: I've had all I can stand of your sick humor for the day." She stood with her customary grace and just barely managed to restrain herself from stomping off into the horizon.

…


	9. Hanyou

Chapter 9

The officer strolled down the fluorescent-lit hallway lined with barred cells. His keys jingled as he walked. His shoes were buffed to a high shine and his pants were crisply pleated. His badge over his heart marked him as a sergeant. His new wife was making his favorite meal tonight: sesame-crusted salmon and he couldn't wait to get home to her but he had one more thing to do before he left: release the man who had beaten the girl from the shrine.

Everyone in the department knew Kagome. She liked to take daily walks after work with her mother, something they had done ever since Kagome was little and she always smiled and waved to the officers coming and going from the building. On holidays, and sometimes just because, the two made care packages for the officers. Her grandfather was a member of the Neighborhood Watch and though the men weren't exactly the romance novel type, they all bought copies of her book when it came out to support her success. Universally incensed upon hearing the assault call just a couple nights ago, the officers had made sure they made the one responsible vividly aware he had hurt someone they considered family.

Releasing the monster that could injure such a pure soul created a foul taste in his mouth, but there was nothing to be done: his family had posted his bail and they had to let him go until his court date. He inserted the iron key into the lock and turned before sliding the bars open. "You've made bail. On your feet, shithead."

The man curled up in a ball on the narrow, metal shelf that acted as a bed unfolded himself and slowly rose to his feet, both arms guarding his abdomen. He made his way, limping, out of the dark cell and into the light. As the buzzing fluorescents shined on his bruised and battered face, showing two black eyes which he squinted out of and a clearly broken nose, he joined the officer and followed him down the short hall to the main lobby. He couldn't see well, but he could feel the glares of the officers as he passed their desks to get to the front. The horrified gasp ahead alerted him that it was his mother who had been the one responsible for his release.

"Oh, my poor, sweet boy! What has happened to you, darling? Your beautiful face!" his mother exclaimed.

"Iths fine, mother. Juss a mithunnerthsanding," Hojo mumbled through a broken jaw. His mother, nearly a foot shorter than her beloved son, came forward and placed an arm gingerly about his back and led him out the door.

On the trip home, elongated by the congestion of rush hour, his mother was blessedly quiet, though he knew she was full of questions. They made a stop at the drug store where he worked to pick up some bandages and pain medicine and when they arrived at his apartment he abruptly thanked his mother for bailing him out and told her he wished simply to go to bed. She tried to protest, wanting to take care of him, to at least cook him dinner, but he manipulated her out the door and practically shut it in her face. He was in no mood to entertain his mother's mothering.

Reaching for the bottle of aged sake in his dining room cabinet, he shuffled to the kitchen and poured himself a double. He ripped open the stapled, paper bag from the pharmacy and found the bottle of narcotics his coworker had given him and slid out two pills, washing them down with the burning alcohol. He thought for a moment, doing some quick math in his head to calculate milligrams of drug per kilogram of weight then poured himself another double and tapped out another two pills. An overdose, certainly, but he should be free from detrimental effects, just enjoy some swift and deep sleep, and, of course, be free of pain for a few blissful hours. Those cops had really done a number on him and he had already been hurting from when Sota came at him.

Placing the glass in the dishwasher, he made his way to his bedroom, undressing from his dirty, bloodied clothes he'd been wearing for two days as carefully as he could while noting the effects of the alcohol and medication starting to ease his pain. Looking in the mirror above his dresser, he took a deep inhale before using his hands to reset his broken nose, taking the splint he picked up at the drug store and taping it in place; he'd have a medical doctor friend check out the rest of his injuries in the morning.

He limped over to his bed and lay down, pulling the sheet and cover over him. His last, concentrated thought before he hit the pillow, his eyes closed, his breathing slowed and consciousness abated was of the awesome beauty of revenge.

…..

Darkness. He was surrounded by swirling darkness. He tried to focus on an image, anything, but all he saw were shades of black churning about him. Reaching out, he tried to feel and found he could not see his hand in front of him, could grasp no substance. Only then did he realize he felt no ground beneath his feet: he was afloat in the swell.

"Hello?" his voice echoed into the abyss.

_'__Where the hell am I?'_ Oddly, somehow his thoughts echoed as well, leaving him even more unsettled. _'What is this place? Gods, is this a dilaudid dream?_'

A cacophony of voices as black as the shadows surrounding him answered: _"This is an in-between place. Your desires brought you here, not your drugs." _The darkness shivered with the power of their sound.

"Who are you?" he asked, his ears ringing from the loudness.

_"__We are the answer to your desires. We can give you what you want more than anything else…we can give you what you __need__."_

"What I need? What can you possibly know of my needs?" he asked, floating in the waves in the darkness.

_"__Revenge colors your thoughts. Revenge against the police. Revenge against the boy. Revenge against her family. But more than that, it's the girl… The shrine girl… Kaaa-goooo-me… You need her like you need air… With our help you can make her yours and nothing will stand in your way…,"_ the voices lulled.

"Kagome. Yes! By all rights, she should be mine. I've done everything for her! I've listened to her doddering fool of a grandfather and sucked up to her simpleton of a mother and played with her idiot jock of a brother. I've tried to show I can take care of her for over a _decade_! I've been her _friend_ and _confidant_ when all I _really_ wanted was to throw her tight, little body down, rip away her clothing and thrust into her as she screams. I've given everything I could give!" he shouted into the abyss as tears of pain and frustration threatened to fall from his eyes.

His answer came swiftly and as brutal as his dark desires: _"What kind of man are you, whining about what you don't have? If you were __truly__ a man, you would take what you want—none of this pansy-assed __bitching__ and __moaning__. Do you want the girl or not? Do you want to bring the __ultimate__ fear to all those who oppose your will? Do you want to feel her soft body open beneath yours? Do you want to lap the tears from her stained, reddened face?"_

"Gods, yes. Her body invades my every thought. But I've been ordered to keep my distance from her—if I'm caught violating the order I'll be arrested and that is one place I never want to be again. Those fucking assholes." He didn't know why his fantasies of Kagome had always been so violent—it was his darkest secret. He'd never told anyone and yet somehow whatever this thing was, it knew him utterly. He loved her. He just knew if Kagome returned his love his fantasies would be more loving, more sweet and caring. Surely that was all it was: his frustrated soul working out that frustration through fantasies. He would never really hurt her, right? That incident at the shrine was only because he was so desperate from the loss of his most precious possession—he didn't mean to hurt her at all, just to show her he needed her.

_"__And what would you do to possess this girl?"_

"Ha! Seriously?! Anything! I'd do anything!" he exclaimed. There was no other answer. His heart had wanted Kagome from the first. Though cliché, everything that he did was for her.

_"__Goooood… That's exactly what you need to do, Hojo…"_ the voice purred.

The darkness swirled feverishly before enveloping the man, swallowing his scream of pain as his body and soul were torn apart and reformed by hundreds of beings.

…..


	10. Meeting Rin

Chapter 10

Inuyasha didn't know what he was doing here. Shuffling his weight from foot to foot, waiting for the door to be answered, the high desert sun beating down on his back, he thought how he really had never gotten along with his brother and now was no exception. What he didn't understand was why the asshole made him fly halfway around the world just because he had business he would only discuss in person.

Suddenly, the large, oak door swung open and a very short male wearing robes of deepest crimson with a greenish-grey complexion that reminds the observer of the leaves of the sage plant glared at this visitor in a way that carried an air of superiority despite his diminutive stature and shouted, "It's about time you got here! Lord Sesshoumaru has been kept waiting for over an hour!"

"Yeah, yeah. Cut your fussin', you overgrown toad. There was traffic on 70 over the mountains, not that I need to justify myself to _you_. So you gonna let me in or what?" Inuyasha growled.

A lilting, female voice chided, "Jaken-sama!" A small, lovely young woman with long, midnight hair, large, pure, milk chocolate eyes, and a clear complexion such as a bowl of fresh cream approached from behind the retainer and respectfully bowed her head, hands folded in front of her before continuing, "Please, Jaken-sama, we must remember Inuyasha-sama is the honored guest of Sesshoumaru-sama. We must show him our finest manners so as not to shame Sesshoumaru-sama."

She turned her impossibly bright eyes to Inuyasha and time stopped. He breathed deeply and stared. Beauty. Such sweet innocence captured in a face that almost reminded him of a child. A quick glance down and up again, lingering appreciatively on her gentle curves that were only highlighted by her conservative yukata…no, this was no child. She looked at him with boundless trust as if hers was a soul which had never known the sting of deception. How on earth could that even be possible in a world like this? The closest he had come to someone such as her was Kagome. Yes, exactly… She reminded him of Kagome. And yet she didn't. She…had those same qualities which had attracted him to Kagome but magnified…impossibly…exponentially. He wondered why he hadn't ever considered courting Kagome, especially now that she was free of that Hojo baggage—not that it mattered now…this girl here…she smelled of warm, spring days of sunshine and rain showers and fresh blooms all together. He'd never scented a human who didn't have that lingering scent of mortality beneath them and yet her scent was pure and fresh. She was…who was she? No…could his brother have taken a mate without telling him?

Impetus sped the recovery of his faculties: he _had_ to know who this girl was. "Who… are you?" he asked in a voice husky as if from disuse.

She blinked her lovely eyes and he watched as confusion crinkled her brow for the barest of seconds before she shook herself. With a smile of perfectly straight, white teeth and plump, pink lips she bowed deeply to her guest. "Inuyasha-sama, you must forgive me! My manners are as poor as Jaken-sama's. My name is Rin and I belong to Sesshoumaru-sama. Please, do come in." She stepped aside to allow him entry and placed her hand on Jaken's shoulder to encourage him to do the same.

Inuyasha still could not move—especially with the devastating news that this outstandingly beautiful _human_ was his superior brother's mate. "You…you _belong_…to him? But…"

She nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course. I have been Sesshoumaru-sama's ward for nearly as long as I can remember."

He released a flood of breath. "His ward! Haha! His _ward_? That's awesome! That's fantastic! I mean—well…ya' know…it's just…funny…is all…," he finished with an embarrassed cough. Both blushing profusely, Inuyasha lowered his head and stepped across the threshold.

Jaken rolled his eyes to the heavens with a long suffering sigh. _As if_ his master would allow his lowly brother to come anywhere near his dear ward.

…

"Master Sesshoumaru, your father is requesting you."

So. It was time.

Young Sesshoumaru rose from his place sitting seiza on the tatami mat with fluid grace, his expression divulging none of his inner brooding. Garbed in a kimono as white as the winter snow covering the ground outside, he made his way out of his rooms and down the hallway to his father's chambers.

When his father had cast aside his proper, inu mate for his human, Sesshoumaru had been consumed by rage. His honorable mother had been disgraced and left the lands of the west to live in exhile. Sesshoumaru's daily training with his father had been indefinitely suspended though he was barely a teenager and those sparring sessions were absolutely critical to his development. All of his father's time was spent with his human whore and once he had gotten her pregnant he had even moved them into the home he had shared with his mate. It was an outrage and exposed the family to all sorts of ridicule and attacks. The few times he had been able to evade his teachers and run away to find his mother, she had told him all about the evils of his father.

It seemed his father's exploits had finally caught up with him. His father, the great _Inu no Taisho_ and Lord of the West was dying—dying from wounds incurred while defending a weak _human_ and their squalling abomination.

He arrived at his father's chambers and knocked on the door frame. At his word, Sesshoumaru moved the sliding doors open and entered, closing the ornately painted wooden doors behind him. His father's room was a larger version of his own. His bed, raised on a dais, was in the center of the room. Floors buffed to a high, obsidian shine were at his feet while above black lacquered beams criss-crossed at regular intervals leaving space for boxed murals. The walls, too, were muraled, with scenes of Mt. Fuji in springtime, with a gold background; black lacquered beams formed arches and molding with gold ornaments covering the joints. Dressers and cabinets were painted in the same black lacquer.

Sesshoumauru approached and moved to kneel beside his father's bed. "No, my son. Please first go to the chest at the foot of my bed and bring me the two swords you find in there."

He did as he was bid, bringing the two swords his father had created from his fangs, Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, to him, placing them within reach on the coverlet beside him before kneeling beside the bed. Though his face was awash in his usual stoic calmness, his eyes burned with hatred for the demon lying there.

"Good." His voice was a raspy vagueness that spoke of weakness and great pain. "I must ask a great favor of you, Sesshoumaru. Though your feelings for your stepmother—," he was interrupted by Sesshoumaru's low growl, "and half brother are readily apparent, when my soul finally departs this body, they will be left defenseless in a world that despises their existence. You must promise to protect them, my son."

"You ask much, Father."

"I have raised you to believe as I do that family is everything. Surely you would not turn away your own family."

Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Family is everything to you until you find your little piece on the side and then they become a burdensome commodity that is easily discarded in favor of your new family."

His father drew a quick inhale in pain. "Sesshoumaru! Though you show you will only listen to your mother's side of things, I tell you again that is not how it happened between her and me. I know I have been much distracted in the last year but you have been ever in my heart and mind. Please, I would have you know this."

"I know that I hear the words of a dying man trying to redeem his sins before his soul is judged. Nevertheless, I am not you and I will ensure the safety of your whore and the half-breed."

He issued a great sigh as one who has given up. "Fine. As for the swords, I would like you to keep them in trust until you are both old enough to wield them."

"Both? You tell me that you would give one of your swords to that abomination too weak to survive on his own?"

"Indeed. Tetsusaiga is to go to Inuyasha. You will know he is ready when he finds peace with his parentage."

"But, Father! Tetsusaiga is a sword of awesome power! How can a half-breed ever hope to harness this? And you said—you said…" This was the final straw: his birthright, the sword his father had created specifically to protect him, the sword he had hung in his dojo to act as a goal for his first born son, the sword he told him would be his one day, was going to the child of that human whore.

"Inuyasha is still my son. He will be powerful in his own right—never doubt this—but it will be a hard road for him. It would make it easier if he had his older brother to count on, Sesshoumaru. You know the power of Tetsusaiga: you could teach him." His father did not even try to address the change in his plans for the sword.

"If you envision a sweet, brotherly scene of bonding over tales of our great father and practicing with his great swords, you will be greatly disappointed." Sesshoumaru's hands were balled in fists in his lap by now and he was shaking with outrage. His father's audacity knew no bounds. Still, he was a demon of honor despite the example of his father and he would not deny his dying wish: he would foster the two of them here at the shiro. He would ensure the boy had tutors as soon as he was out of the nursery and would provide for him until such time as he found his place in the world but his obligation ended there. Besides, perhaps the boy would never find peace with the circumstances of his birth…

….


	11. Little Pink Dresses and Lacy Undies

Chapter 11

As Inuyasha followed his brother's retainer, his eyes were drawn instead to the gently swaying hips of his brother's ward. Right, then left, then back again. He was well and truly hypnotized by their movement. When they ceased their motion and held before the door to his brother's study, his eyes remained entranced with her form. They moved up past her waist to the proud line of her shoulders and the soft fall of her arms.

So ensorcelled was he that he did not hear the first clearing of his brother's throat. Nor the second. He did feel, however, when his brother chose to speed across the room from behind his desk to the doorway to grasp Inuyasha by the throat and slam him against the far wall. Oh yeah—he was in trouble.

"Enjoying the view, were you?" Sesshoumaru ground out past his tightly clenched jaw.

It wasn't easy answering with a grip like that holding him up by his throat. "What, me? I don't know what you're talking about, asshole."

"You were ogling an innocent!"

"So what if I was, it's not like she's claimed!"

"She is _my_ ward and as such she is under _my_ protection. A circumstance she will remain in until someone _worthy_ presents themselves." If that half-breed even contemplated courting his little Rin… He'd been concerned for awhile at the similarities when she was younger to her dream playmate of whom she had spoken so often—the silver hair and golden eyes, the brash temper, but she had grown out of those dreams, thankfully, so he knew she was not having dreams of her one.

This really was funny. Later, when poison-imbued claws weren't digging into his neck, he'd have a great laugh over his stuffy brother being over-protective of a human girl. "Oh really? And just how long have you had her cooped up in this fortress, far away from the outside world? By your atypical reaction I'd say roughly since puberty."

Sesshoumaru's eyes drifted to the side as his grip on his brother's neck slacked. "Rin is a pure soul. She is especially vulnerable to the evils of the world and as such needs protecting."

"And just how long have you _had_ this pure soul? She's charmed somehow—that scent of hers has lost its bitterness of mortality so I'd say a lot longer than what it appears. That's one hell of a secret you've been keeping, man." He gave his brother a hard, searching look.

Sesshoumaru sighed and found his brother's eyes as his arm fell to his side. "Come inside. There is much I would tell you." He turned and extended his arm to indicate his office.

As Inuyasha turned from his brother and looked to the doorway, he saw the blush staining Rin's cheeks and realized his dream girl had overheard his little tete a tete with his brother.

…

"_Tadaima!_"

"_Okaeri_, sweetheart!" Kaneko called from the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"Blessedly free of creepy feelings, calls or texts! I spent hours running errands and buying supplies for my big trip and had a completely stress-free outing." Her gleaming smile showcased just how much had changed in the last few days. It had been months since Kaneko had seen her daughter smile like that.

"Oh, that's wonderful! Now, let's see what you've got!"

Kagome set her bags down on the couch and plopped down with an "oomph!" Kaneko sat at the other end and waited patiently for her daughter to display her finds.

"So, of course, I got toiletries. That's really what most of this is. But…I also got a nice dress for the big meeting and one for just in case!" Kagome rifled around in the plastic, tossing some small bags on the floor until she got to the big bag from a designer clothing store. Except for her traditional wear, she bought all her clothes in the big box stores. Never one into fashion enough to pay the prices, she dressed simply: tees and sweaters, jeans and skirts. What she really enjoyed were shoes, but most of her shoes were sneakers and sandals as she really didn't dress to accommodate dressy shoes except for special occasions. Until today. She rushed into the bathroom to change.

The dress for the meeting was a deep pink number where short cap sleeves framed the draped, asymmetrical neckline that topped a polished gabardine sheath. The wide, inset waistline—centered by a skinny, black patent belt, led into v-shaped stitching in the back. The neckline was square in the back and dipped low, which would showcase her shoulders if she wore her hair up and there was an elegant slit at the conservative just-at-the-knee hem. After she'd shimmied in and slipped on her slightly platformed, black, patent pumps, she left the bathroom to show off.

"Oh, Kagome! You look like such a lady!"

She turned around. "Can you zip me up?" she asked over her shoulder. Kaneko moved to help and then Kagome spun around. "So what do you think? Is it professional enough? I really couldn't see myself in one of those business suit things."

"No, no, no. You're too young and besides, it's not like you're a lawyer or something. So tell me more about this meeting! Will Inuyasha be there?"

"Yep, he'll be there. Here, let me get out of this first so it doesn't get wrinkled. Unzip, please!" She turned, her mother unzipped and Kagome ran back to the bathroom to change and hang up her dress. When she was back to her normal self and the dresses safe hung on the back of the bathroom door, she emerged and plopped back down on the couch with her mama.

"So…where were we, Mama? You know Inuyasha's on a trip right now, but when he comes back he's grabbing me and we're flying to New York. The firm that is publishing my work makes a point of meeting with every new author they sign with so I have a big meeting between Inuyasha, me, and the head of the company, plus some lawyers and stuff that worked on the contract. Inuyasha said he was going to take me out for a real, American dinner afterwards! He said since we managed the impossible—whatever that means—that I can have anything my tummy desires. Isn't that awesome?"

"It's so exciting, isn't it? A big business meeting all the way in New York City! Sweetheart, I really am delighted for you; you truly deserve this. And I know I can rely on him to look out for you and your interests which makes it all the better."

….

"Come inside. There is much I would tell you."

Inuyasha followed his brother into his office, winking cheekily at Rin on the way in, and closed the heavy, solid oak doors behind him. He walked up to one of the brown leather club chairs in front of his brother's massive desk and plopped down into it. He almost kicked his heels up on to that desk, then thought better of it. Yeah, his stiff asshole of a brother would probably leap over the desk and repeat his threatening grip on his throat—not a good idea.

Sesshoumaru rounded his desk and gracefully seated himself in his executive chair and looked down at his half-brother. He had purposely constructed his office to sit on an angle whereby his desk and, specifically, his seat, was higher than the other chairs in the room across from him. Not that he particularly needed it with Inuyasha as he was a good half a head shorter than himself, but it was always a good idea to begin discussions of any kind in a position of authority.

He brought his hands together in front of him to rest on the desk as he rolled his legs under the desk. "I am sure you are wondering why I requested your presence." At Inuyasha's curt nod he continued. "It is a matter of our father's. You see, upon his death he entrusted his swords to me,"

He was interrupted by, "Yeah, yeah. Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. I'm not so stupid I forgot all those years of training you gave me."

Sesshoumaru had a ready comment for that, but held his tongue. "What I neglected to mention while I was teaching you to master father's swords was that one of them was left to you, Inuyasha. I omitted this knowledge because per our father's wishes you were not ready to take possession of it."

"You mean all this time I had something from dad and you kept it from me?! Why the hell would you do that?"

Exasperation forced a sigh from him. "As I said, you were not yet ready. Father said I would know when you were ready when you could accept your mixed parentage. You have only stopped living as a fighter most recently. In the last few years you have let go of much of your anger and made a real career for yourself, a way for you to live in this world of humans. I know it may be strange to hear this from this Sesshoumaru, however, since this change I have felt a sort of pride in you."

"You've—whoa…you have a funny way of showing it, you know, asshole." He was looking at his brother like he had just declared his preference for lacy, pink undergarments.

…..

A/N: _tadaima_ means "I'm home!" and _okaeri_ means "welcome home!"

…..


End file.
